DLRAS Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Why are you so hard to please?

On the desk rested stacks of A4 printed documents, the most prominent one on top being an event proposal.

The title read: “Zheng Group 120th Anniversary Celebration and Charity Auction Event.”

Chen Wengang knew what this was—it was the project Zheng Yucheng was currently in charge of, and likely the source of his confidence when making those bold claims earlier.

Two months before their relationship was exposed, Zheng Bingyi had just appointed Zheng Yucheng to plan the Zheng Group’s anniversary celebration.

When the time came, representatives from Zheng Group’s branches and subsidiaries all over would arrive to attend. Following the ceremony, there would be a charity fundraiser, and Zheng Bingyi’s friends and numerous business partners would also be present. As it concerned the corporate image of the Zheng Group, it was undoubtedly a grand and important day.

Zheng Bingyi choosing his eldest son as the general director wasn’t simply to temper his event-planning skills, of course.

More importantly, having Zheng Yucheng make an appearance in front of everyone was tantamount to an indirect acknowledgment of his status as the heir apparent.

As long as he successfully executed this event and debuted as the group’s representative, Zheng Yucheng would undoubtedly be taking a massive step ahead of Zheng Maoxun.

In the days immediately following the decision, Madam Zheng, Huo Meijie, had even gotten a blister on the corner of her mouth from the stress and internal heat.

From Zheng Yucheng’s perspective, he had been personally overseeing preparations for this debut for two months. Whether it was finalizing the guest list, printing invitations, drafting press releases with the media, or even running through the host’s script himself, he strove to ensure not a single mistake occurred.

Even that day, when he had clashed with his father over his relationship with Chen Wengang, he later realized it hadn’t been a wise move.

On the other hand, Huo Meijie had clearly been whispering in Zheng Bingyi’s ear every night, urging her husband to replace the candidate with Zheng Maoxun. She argued that rumors of the group’s representative being homosexual would ultimately look bad, and that the younger son’s image was more suitable for the public eye. Did he think he didn’t know?

Zheng Yucheng absolutely did not want any unexpected variables in this matter. To have worked so hard for so long, only to end up making a wedding dress for someone else…

Chen Wengang looked down at the proposal in his hand. If you asked if it was unfamiliar, of course it wasn’t.

In his past life, he and Zheng Yucheng had pulled who knew how many all-nighters grinding through this final version with the event planning company.

But to say it was familiar—after half a lifetime, how could he possibly remember the specific details?

The only deep impression he had was that the planning company was recommended by Zheng Yucheng’s older sister, Zheng Dongqing, and the results had been less than ideal.

In order to help her husband, Xiang Hao, win over a business partner, she had recommended her friend’s planning company to Zheng Yucheng. Normally, a vendor of this caliber wouldn’t even come close to collaborating with the Zheng Group; their reputation in the industry wasn’t big enough, their experience wasn’t rich enough, and their execution capabilities couldn’t be guaranteed.

But for the sake of his sister’s face, Zheng Yucheng had still given them a chance.

Back then, Chen Wengang had his heart in his throat, terrified that this new, untried company would mess up and negatively impact Zheng Yucheng, so he personally supervised every single step.

Working sleepless nights, checking for gaps, and patching up leaks, the event eventually concluded successfully. Zheng Yucheng had hugged him and kissed him, saying he truly was his capable right-hand man.

But at the end of the day, the planning company had major issues. They were ultimately just a small workshop; biting off a project as massive as the Zheng Group gave them severe indigestion. Their level of cooperation was low, their execution was riddled with errors, and they were the type of vendor a client never wanted to see again.

Chen Wengang set the document aside: “I don’t have any feedback. Just confirm the time and venue yourself, and it will be fine.”

Who knew that upon returning to Zheng Maoxun’s office, he would immediately face a suspicious interrogation: “Where did you go?”

“To get afternoon tea,” Chen Wengang replied calmly.

“Bullshit, I asked two people, and they didn’t see you at all,” Zheng Maoxun said. “Did you go looking for Zheng Yucheng?”

“Can I not even speak a single word to him?” Chen Wengang laughed. “How many days have you been deliberately angering him, and now you’re tailing me?”

Zheng Maoxun threatened petulantly: “I’m going to expose you two. I’ll say you’re still secretly pining for each other, that you’re secretly dating!”

Chen Wengang raised his hands: “I only said a couple of words to him about work. Why are you so hard to please?”

Zheng Maoxun grunted a few times and dropped the subject, surprisingly not yelling at him disrespectfully anymore today.

But sometimes, speaking of the devil brings him right to your door.

The very next day, a young woman from the administration department came jogging over to find Chen Wengang, secretly telling him something had happened and asking if he could come take a look.

The administration department needed to coordinate with Zheng Yucheng on various preparations for the event, and this young woman, Xiao Lin, was the dedicated liaison.

Because of this, she knew that Chen Wengang had previously been responsible for this work. Seeing him was like seeing a life-saving talisman: “Good Wengang, I know this is no longer under your purview, but since you’re familiar with it, please come help us brainstorm a solution?”

When Chen Wengang was dragged over by her, Zheng Yucheng was having an outburst in his office, keeping his voice suppressed:

“Is this your first day on the job? You’re telling me you booked the ‘Crown Hotel’ instead of the ‘Crown Plaza Grand Hotel’? If I hadn’t thought to ask to see the receipt, no one would have noticed even now! Do you realize how severe a mistake this is?!”

The mistake was incredibly amateurish.

The Crown Plaza Grand Hotel was Jin City’s most established six-star hotel, with a history spanning over 150 years. It had hosted various major events, including many celebrity weddings, and was a symbol of distinct status and prestige. The Zheng Group was a regular patron of the Crown Plaza Grand Hotel; their annual company galas and all past celebrations, team-building events, and press conferences were customarily held there.

As a result, the planning company, lacking understanding and acting with perfunctory carelessness, had booked a knockoff hotel with a similar name.

Yesterday, when Chen Wengang reminded Zheng Yucheng to confirm the time and venue, he had already done his utmost—he knew this would happen.

In his past life, he was the one chasing after the planning company for the receipt and discovered this blunder. They immediately contacted the hotel to rebook the banquet hall. Luckily, it wasn’t peak season, and they eventually managed to secure the venue schedule.

Without Chen Wengang’s help for the past two weeks, Zheng Yucheng had eventually discovered it anyway, but a full week later than in the previous life.

There were two other people in Zheng Yucheng’s office: the general manager who had come to bear the rod of punishment, and the specific project manager, whose head was bowed as he apologized incessantly: “I am truly sorry, so sorry, Mr. Zheng, this was our negligence…”

“I don’t need ‘sorry’!” Zheng Yucheng was furious. “I’m asking you, who is going to take responsibility?!”

Xiao Lin, having just graduated college and entered the workforce a year ago, was trembling with fear, holding her breath and shrinking behind Chen Wengang.

This mistake actually had nothing to do with her. She only liaised with the event company, but the work of booking the venue had passed through her hands. Seeing this scene, she was terrified that the other party would bite back, or that her superior might not distinguish right from wrong, leading to her being implicated by association.

“That’s enough, let’s settle accounts later.” Chen Wengang shielded Xiao Lin. “Better hurry and contact the hotel to ask.”

Zheng Yucheng sank into the sofa: “If it wasn’t because we couldn’t book it, do you think I’d still need to be losing my temper here?”

Chen Wengang was stunned.

He had wanted Zheng Yucheng to learn a lesson, which was why he hadn’t said anything, but he hadn’t expected it to come down to this narrow margin.

Just yesterday evening at eight o’clock, the banquet hall at the Crown Plaza Grand Hotel had been snatched up by another client.

Xiao Lin stood nearby with her head drooping, looking even more wilted and pallid than Zheng Yucheng.

Chen Wengang had no choice but to console him: “Don’t panic, let’s try to think of other remedial plans.”

The two from the planning company wore bitter expressions, possessing absolutely zero emergency handling capabilities when things went wrong. Finding them annoying to look at, Zheng Yucheng dismissed them to wait in another conference room for his decision. He buried his face in his palms, rubbed his face, and let out a deep sigh.

The date for next month’s celebration obviously couldn’t be changed.

The tradition of holding it at the Crown Plaza Grand Hotel also couldn’t be altered casually.

The only solution was to negotiate with the client who had booked the banquet hall for that day, hoping they would be willing to compromise and give up the space.

But this was entirely a matter of luck. If the other party also had an important event, or took a hardline stance and refused to negotiate no matter what, then it would be a real spectacle. Zheng Yucheng’s vision went a bit dark. This matter was a bitter pill he had to swallow in silence; he could only cover it up and couldn’t let it blow up.

One day, he was full of lofty ambitions to prove himself, and the next, he’d be running to his father to admit he couldn’t even handle a small matter like this?

No one would care who had screwed him over; if word got out, the Zheng Group would lose face, and Zheng Bingyi’s successor’s abilities would look like a joke.

Zheng Yucheng ordered Xiao Lin to sit down as well: “We will resolve this internally. Do not go spreading rumors outside, do you hear me?”

Xiao Lin nodded like a chicken pecking at rice, listening as he began dialing numbers one after another.

The hotel, maintaining client privacy, initially refused to disclose who had booked the venue.

In the end, it was only after Zheng Yucheng leveraged the Zheng Group’s prestige, applying both pressure and persuasion, that he managed to extract the name from a familiar customer service supervisor:

“Okay, surname Yu, right? Yu Shanding. Which ‘Yu’, which ‘Shan’, which ‘Ding’? Do you have his contact information?”

The supervisor apologized with a strained smile on the other end: “I’ve already secretly told you the name. If I say any more, my job will truly be gone.”

Zheng Yucheng hadn’t really held out hope of getting it directly anyway. He jotted the name down on a piece of paper, feeling it looked somewhat familiar, though he couldn’t immediately recall who it was.

Chen Wengang saw it, however, and his expression turned somewhat peculiar.

Before anyone could speak, the door to Zheng Yucheng’s office was pushed open.

The person who arrived was visibly gloating. Neither fully entering nor exiting, he leaned against the doorframe and peered inside: “I was wondering why I hadn’t seen Chen Wengang all day. What’s wrong, Ge? Turns out your event next month has run into trouble? Need me to come help out too?”

“Don’t trouble yourself.” Zheng Yucheng glanced at him. “What, do you enjoy being a busybody?”

“No need to be a busybody for this.” Zheng Maoxun pouted. “Those two useless sacks you called in are still sitting in the conference room. Who wouldn’t see them walking by? I just came to remind you to manage them at least. Looking at their faces, like they’re mourning their dead parents—anyone who didn’t know better would think they came to our company to collect debts.”

“I know. If it’s none of your business, get out.”

“Fine, I’ll get out.” Zheng Maoxun was as punchable as ever.

In a flash of realization, Zheng Yucheng finally remembered who that Yu Shanding was—

A nouveau riche boss who sucked up to the Huo family to do business, always hovering around Huo Niansheng and doing his bidding; you could say he was Huo Niansheng’s lackey.

“Wait, Zheng Maoxun, come back.” Zheng Yucheng’s jaw muscles clenched tightly. “Did the guy surnamed Huo do this?”

“No head, no tail, what are you talking about?”

“I’m asking you about the Crown’s banquet hall. This Yu Shanding—did Huo Niansheng instruct him to snatch it?”

“How would I know that?” Zheng Maoxun said. “And aren’t you getting a concept wrong here, Ge? Please, it’s not that someone snatched your territory, it’s that you failed to book it yourself, okay? Yes, I heard my cousin wanted to throw some kind of party, and I recommended that place to him as a good spot. But can I guarantee he’ll listen to me? And how would I know which day he would choose? Stop being ridiculous.”

But Zheng Yucheng’s face looked terrible. If it were anyone else, of course, it would be a coincidence; but given Huo Niansheng’s relationship with Huo Meijie, he truly found it hard not to be suspicious. However, a crucial link was still missing: who would be so intimately aware of every detail of the event’s progress he was in charge of?

There were many low-probability possibilities; it could have been leaked by anyone in the administration department or the planning company.

He gritted his teeth, inadvertently casting his gaze towards Chen Wengang.

As the two brothers confronted each other, the smell of gunpowder in the room rose sharply, and Xiao Lin didn’t even dare breathe too loudly.

Zheng Maoxun kept the office door propped open. Employees passed by in the corridor from time to time, and some were already casting covert glances inside.

“That’s enough.” Chen Wengang stood up, extended his arm, and pushed Zheng Maoxun outwards. “Alright, don’t cause trouble. Come with me.”

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Author’s Note:

Zheng Maoxun is indeed straight; the arrows of his feelings fall somewhere between familial affection and friendship.

His current clinging to Xiao Chen is akin to a child’s possessiveness: I think he’s good, I like him, so I want to monopolize him. It’s relatively immature.

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